1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional printing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A three-dimensional printing apparatus for shaping a three-dimensional printed object by successively stacking layers of a resin material each having a predetermined cross-sectional shape and curing the resin material is conventionally known. For example, JP H6(1994)-98689 B discloses a technique of forming a three-dimensional printed object by discharging a photo-curable resin from a shaping head and curing the photo-curable resin based on three-dimensional data that represent the shape of the three-dimensional object to be manufactured.
In the present description, the term “three-dimensional data” refers to data of a plurality of cross-sectional images created from a three-dimensional model representing the shape of a three-dimensional object or a three-dimensional printed object to be manufactured.
This type of three-dimensional printing apparatus includes a shaping head for discharging a resin material, and a table for retaining the discharged resin material. Layers of the resin material are successively stacked on the table. The shaping head and the table are configured to be movable relative to each other. As the shaping head moves relative to the table while discharging the resin material, a layer of the resin material having a predetermined cross-sectional shape is stacked on the table or on a layer of the resin material that has been already cured.
The layers of the resin material are stacked upwardly. For this reason, when the three-dimensional printed object to be manufactured has an arch-shaped configuration, the three-dimensional printed object results in a bent shape due to the weight of the resin material itself. In view of this problem, it is necessary to shape support members 110 for supporting a three-dimensional printed object 100 so that the arch-shaped configuration does not collapse while shaping the three-dimensional printed object.
However, the support members 110 are unnecessary for the three-dimensional printed object 100 after having been completed. The support members 110 need to be removed after the three-dimensional printed object 100 has been shaped. Thus, the conventional three-dimensional printing apparatus requires a process of removing the support members 110 and also results in waste of the resin material.